BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION: WSDOT sets girders for Skagit River replacement

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The permanent replacement for the collapsed I-5 Skagit River Bridge span has reached a major milestone, as crews began setting eight enormous concrete girders that will support the new roadway.

Contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) expect to have all of the girders in place in the next two or three days. Crews will then spend the following two to three weeks working on the final roadway, including the deck, barriers and other key components.

“We’re still on schedule to replace the temporary span in early September, shortly after Labor Day weekend,” said Jay Drye, WSDOT assistant regional administrator. “A full closure of I-5 is needed to complete the job, and we’re working closely with the community and the contractor to finalize those details so folks have enough time to plan ahead.”

Once the girders are on-site, two cranes—one on the northern dike of the Skagit River, the other on a barge in the river—will work together to lift each girder into place. Each girder is roughly as long as the width of a football field (162 ft) and weighs a little more than a space shuttle when empty (168,000 lb).

Since construction started in early July, crews have driven piles in the river to create temporary work platforms, which will support the new bridge span during construction, while building a rail system to move the new bridge span into place. On the east side of the bridge, crews continue to drive piles that will eventually hold the temporary span after it is shifted out of the way to make room for the permanent replacement.

This project is necessary to replace the portion of the Skagit River Bridge that collapsed near Mount Vernon on Thursday, May 23, after an oversized semitruck struck critical steel supports. This vital corridor carries 71,000 vehicles daily. WSDOT selected Max J. Kuney Co. to build the $6.87 million permanent span, with Parsons Brinckerhoff leading the design.

As with construction of the temporary span, WSDOT has a camera in place to view the work and will continue to post pictures throughout the construction period.